Could Giants enter trade market after lockout?

 The Giants made a few crucial signings that barely beat the collective bargaining agreement's expiration at the start of December and they weren't the only ones.

We've gotten used big named free-agents waiting things out over the past few years. Bryce Harper didn't pick his new home until a few days before spring training in 2019. This year however, players signed with much more urgency as both organizations and upper-echelon free agents wanted to have as much clarity as possible before the impending work stoppage.

Gone are the top free agent starting pitchers, including Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman, Robbie Ray and Marcus Stroman. Also off the table are many of the premiere offensive talents such as Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Starling Marte and Javy Baez. 

The good thing for teams still looking to improve before the '22 season is that this free agent class entered the offseason as one of the deepest in the sports history. Despite the flurry of expensive signings, there are still a bunch of impact players that will again become available when a new CBA is reached. San Francisco should jump right back in the mix when business opens back up.

Luckily for them, they were able to get much of their rotation taken care of before the "break". They brought back Anthony DeSclafini and Alex Wood, two extremely important parts of their 2021 bunch. They also grabbed Alex Cobb in a move that wasn't quite the answer fans were looking for when Gausman announced his departure, but he wasn't signed to fill Gausman's shoes. The Giants needed multiple starters and Cobb more than adequately fills one of the voids. Not to mention, Cobb's performance last summer was massively overlooked as he was overshadowed in LA by Shohei Ohtani and he ran into a few minor injury issues that cost him time.

The trio of starters that will join/re-join Logan Webb in the starting rotation next year are all coming off solid seasons and are coming at relative bargains. Basically, Farhan brought back DeSclafini and Wood along with obtaining Cobb for less combined total dollars than the Blue Jays signed Gausman too, and barely more than the Cubs grabbed Stroman for. That's pretty impressive.

Money will not be an issue for the Giants when baseball re-opens and that will not only help them further in free agency, but should also open a ton of options on the trade market as well. And given how none of the remaining big free agents have been too closely tied to the Giants (aside from maybe Kris Brant), the trade route could be a direction they look into more when assessing their 2022 options.

In fact, there are a handful of guys who I would love to see them try and pry away from their current clubs. That list includes Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, Pablo Lopez, Jose Ramirez, Bryan Reynolds and Ketel Marte, just to name a few.

Of that bunch, I could most realistically see the Giants swing a deal for Gray. Farhan's familiar with him, he's pitched well in big games and can pitch towards the top of the rotation. His remaining contract is also very reasonable. Cincinnati is probably looking at Castillo as their big ticket trade piece so Gray wouldn't cost as much in return. He didn't exactly shine in 2021, as his counting stats were pretty much league average. Despite the losing record and mediocre 4.19 ERA, his stuff was still very good. His spin rate, strikeout rate, barrel percentage and and hard-hit percentage are borderline elite. A move out of the Great American Ballpark and the NL Central could do wonders for him.

Gray's definitely a name to keep an eye on, but Pablo Lopez is another one that could make some sense for San Francisco. He only had 20 starts last season but his numbers were outstanding in every facet of analysis. He rocked a 3.07 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 136 ERA+ and a 4.4 K/BB ratio. He also keeps the ball on the ground and in the ballpark. He doesn't have the track record that Gray has, but has the upside and ability to be superior as he progresses. 

Ketel Marte and Jose Ramirez would not be easy acquisitions, although they are both reportedly on the trade block. Ramirez has MVP-caliber talent and is under contract for 2 more seasons so he won't be cheap. Marte, a free agent after the '22 season, would probably cost a little less in return but it's not likely the D-Backs would deal him inside the division unless they got a huge offer. He could easily slot into one of the two spots the Giants could upgrade though, either second base and/or center field. 

A return of Bryan Reynolds to the Giants' organization would be epic, but highly unlikely. Dealt away as the centerpiece of the Andrew McCutchen almost four years back, Reynolds has gone on to become one of the best all around center fielders in baseball at 26 years of age. A switch-hitter who's equally dynamic from both sides of the plate and solid in the outfield, Reynolds is rounding into one the premium talents in baseball. The only issue with going after the all-star would be the asking price, as multiple teams have inquired on him this winter but the Pirates asking price is rightfully expensive..

Aside from being in the market for an impact hitter and another front-end starter, the Giants could delve back into free agency to add depth pieces both in the field and on the pitching staff. One name that comes to mind is Jonathan Villar. The 31 year-old is a versatile player with great speed who can hit and has experience all over. He'd be ideal in a super-utility role providing depth in the outfield and middle infield. 

There are a couple other guys like that who could be helpful, and plenty of pitching options they could add as their reclamation projects for '22. I would even like to see them try and land another high-leverage relief pitcher with some experience if they have a chance.

Either way, I don't think this team is close to being done, and I expect them to pick right back up when things are up and running again.